Assassin in the Hunger Games
by hollaaa
Summary: Peeta is a keeping a secret from everyone. He's an assassin who's been trained his whole life to kill. When he's chosen for the Hunger Games, the Boy with the Bread is going to show his true self. Something others never expected.
1. Tributes of District 12

**Summary:**

Peeta is a keeping a secret from everyone. He's an assassin who's been trained his whole life to kill. When he's chosen for the Hunger Games, the Boy with the Bread is going to show his true self. Something others never expected.

**Peeta/Katniss story. Author's Notes will usually be in the bottom of the story with the disclaimer.**

**Peeta  
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Primrose Everdeen. That's the name. She was chosen for the Hunger Games, a game to show that the Capitol is in control of Panem. I looked towards the big screen and saw that she was only around 12 years old.

"Prim!" someone cries. "Prim!" It was a girl, Katniss. She was now being held by the Peacekeepers.

"I volunteer!" she lets out. "I volunteer as tribute!" You see there's a story behind the Hunger Games. Long story-short it's a way to keep another rebellion from arising from the Dark days when all the Districts rebelled against the Capitol. District Thirteen was blown off the map. Now each year, each District gives one boy and girl, ages 12 to 18, to participate in the Hunger Games. They all fight to their death in an outdoor arena. It can be anything, desert, rain forest, mountains, anything. Last standing tribute wins.

I couldn't hear what there were saying up there. I wish I could. I saw a man, a little bit older than me, carrying the original tribute to her family. I lost myself in a train of thought, but then I hear a name, "Katniss Everdeen." Her voice sounded like she was trying hard to not break. It wasn't noticeable, though.

"I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newst tribute!" I swear, Effie is just so annoying.

I do something that I bet no one would expect me to do. It was a gesture no one really uses anymore around District 12. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means saying good-bye to someone you love. I touched my three middle fingers on my left hand to my lips and hold it out to her. I keep my focus on Katniss.

At some point, a man, Haymitch, District Twelve's only victor that's still alive today, put's an arm around her and talks to the people in the camera. I can tell he's drunk.

"What an exciting day!" Effie continues, trying to fix her wig which was off to the right. "But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" Her hand reaches in the glass ball that contained the boy's names. As she calls the name, my breathing stops. "Peeta Mellark."

My mother taps my shoulder, "Finally, we have a chance of winning. She's a survivor, that one."

I give my family a sad glance and walk on the stage steadily. Effie Trinket asks for volunteers but no one takes it.

Now the Mayor reads the Treaty of Treason which I bet no one listens to. Katniss and I share a glance. She and I share a memory that no one can know about...

_I heard my mother yelling at some Seam kids. I don't understand this woman. They're people, too. Kids from all ages run away from our trashcan. I went behind my mother to see what else was going on and I see Katniss Everdeen. The girl whose mother my father really loved. _

_Katniss ran behinfd the pig pen. Her eyes were hollow and her bones were visible. It seemed like she hadn't eaten in days, she looked as if she couldn't go on any longer. _

_I heard her father died a few months ago from a mining accident. I could see why she as like that. Usually, fathers from the Seam, or the eldest son or daughter, provided the family with food, money, and clothing. The mother would do that also, but I hear that her mother ignored her a bit, shut down.  
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_I __tried to think of a plan to save her somehow. I felt like I needed to protect her. Maybe it was from my training for my future. I was born to keep people safe. Gladly, only my father and I know about it.  
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_I took the two biggest loaves of bread from the counter and threw it into the fire. I pulled them out and made it visible to my mother. She started yelling at me and smacked me across the face. "Feed it to the pig, you stupid creature! Why not? No one decent will but burned bread!" _

_I walked to the pig pen and took off the smallest pieces of the bread, but only the burned parts. I saw Katniss eying the bread. I only tore off not even a coin sized amount off one loaf of bread. I tossed her the loaves and ran out. I saw her put the loaves under her shirt and run._

I walked into the Justice Building for good-byes and visits. First to come in was my father. He gives me a manly hug and lets go long enough for it to be meaningful. "Son, be careful out there."

"Dad, I've been trained to fight, kill, and survive since I was born." I let out a slight chuckle, "I think I can handle this."

He gives a small grin, "I just need you to do one thing for me. You don't have to if you don't want to." I look up slightly. "I want you to protect Katniss Everdeen."

"But, dad," I plead, "What if I don't make it back?"

"I' having you do this for a reason," he answers. "I don't know when you'll figure out what I'm trying to do. Hopefully before the Games start, but you will." With that, he stood up and left.

Next were my brothers, Panett and Payn. Yes, all of our names start with P's, but if you know your breads, there would be a reason why those are our names.

Panett was the eldest of all of us and I am the youngest, leaving Payn to be in between the both of us.

Panett smiles, "Well, well, the mini me is chosen for the Hunger Games. Never thought that this day would come."

He puts it off as if it's a joke, I love that about him. But Payn, he just gives me a sad smile, "Be careful out there."

"I will." We share a moment of silence until their time is up.

Surprisingly, the next ones were Gale, Mrs. Everdeen, and Prim. Prim looked like she's been crying. Mrs. Everdeen looked the same, except not as bad. Gale just looked really serious. He was the first to speak, "Listen, baker, we need you to do something for us."

"I already know what you're going to ask," I admit. "You're going to ask me to protect Katniss. I already was going to."

Prim ran up and hugged me. I put my arms around her for comfort. She cried into my shirt. "Thank you. Thank you! Thank you!" She was crying again. "Please, please, please try to keep her safe!"

"I will, I promise." I'm not going to break that. Mrs. Everdeen joins us also.

"Wait," Gale interrupts. "Why were going to protect her?"

"Because, I feel like I need to," I say, trying to sound as convincing as possible so he would believe me. I'm not lying either. I've been around Gale before, and he's not easy to convince.

"Or do you think she's weak? Because she's-" before he can even finish the sentence, the Peacekeepers drag them away.

"A survivor," I finish silently to myself.

**How was it? Sorry, if it kind of sucked, I did this all in one day. I was rushing and I wanted it to go up today. Positive reviews please :) If it's suggestions, please don't state it harshly. **

**I know the end was suckish. I didn't know how to finish it.**

**Expect changes in the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**


	2. Haymitch Knows

Once we were done with our good-byes, we go to the train station from the Justice Building. We took a car, and the ride was pretty short. It was my first time in a car, honestly. Usually, Panett does the deliveries. But I have been in a train before. When I was younger, my dad took me and my brothers to different Districts to pick up some ingredients for some special bread party or something.

The station was filled with reporters and their tiny cameras that were focused on our faces. I pretend to look as if I've been crying. I'm going to look weak here, but once we get started on training, I'll be as serious as hell. It's kind of like something that a girl from District 7 did a few years ago. I glanced at Katniss and saw that she's hiding her emotions. I can tell but they way her facial expression is. She's too serious.

Once we're in the train, it literally starts moving. I saw Katniss almost fall. It's going 250 miles per hour. I can tell she's never been in a train before. But this train had surprised me a bit, also. The train I went on when I was younger went about 30 miles per hour. Pretty slow, I know.

We both walk over to our rooms in the train, which seemed much better than our rooms in the Justice Building. We both have a bedroom, a dressing area, and a bathroom with hot and cold water all to ourselves. My family only got a short use of hot water to save money.

Effie tells me to get ready for supper in an hour, but I just take a shower instantly. It was warm, better than the shower I had at home. I go over to the drawer which was filled fine clothing. I dress into a white shirt and dark blue jeans.

I walk into the dining room to see Haymitch sitting there. "Hey, kid, what was your name again? Peena? Pensy?"

I can't tell if he's sober or not, but I answer him anyway, "Peeta Mellark."

"Well, well, how do you feel about the Hunger Games, kid? You got chosen, I saw you cry." He let out a chuckle, but I just smiled. It worked.

"I guess it was overwhelming," I say. "When the people visited me in the Justice Building, they asked me to do something for them."

He leaned in, suddenly interested. "They asked you to protect the girl," he guessed.

I nod slowly. How did he know? "The thing is, my father asked me to do so, too. I bet you already know that her family and best friend asked me to keep her safe."

Haymitch looked down and laughed. "Alessio. I know him. I know why he asked you to do that."

My eyebrows furrow, giving him a strange look. "You know my father?"

"Yes, I do." He let's out a yawn and says, "If you need me, I'm going to take a nap." Before I can say anything else, he leaves me, sitting there, wondering.

After about a few minutes of thinking, Katniss and Effie step into the room. Effie looks around and asks enthusiastically, "Where's Haymitch?"

"Last time I saw him, he was going to take a nap," I answer.

She let's out a sigh of relief, "Well, it has been an exhausting day." I can tell she's kind of happy Haymitch isn't here. Who could blame her? She always wants things perfect anyway and Haymitch... Well, let's say that with both of them here, it wouldn't work out well.

The food served was simply amazing. It came in like courses. There was carrot soup, green salad, lamb chop and mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, chocolate cake and more. Effie kept reminding us there was more to come, so we had to save room, but Katniss and I were stuffing ourselves. The food was just so rich, we couldn't stop.

In the middle of supper, Effie tells us, "At least you two have decent manners. The pair last year ate everything with their hand like a couple of savages. It completely upset my digestion."

My mother taught me my manners, and I'm pretty sure Katniss's mom taught her also. After Effie said that, she started eating with her hands, smiling. She did that to annoy Effie. A grin spreads across my face and I so the same myself.

We stare at Effie to see her completely disgusted. When we were done, we wiped our hands on the table cloth.I can Katniss was trying hard to not throw up, and I'm doing the same. In training, I lived off of the strangest things like worms, and at home, stale bread, I kept those in, and I can keep this in.

We go in to a different area in the train to watch the recap. What we do is try to see who would give us a hard time in the Games. What surprised me was what happened in District 2. A boy volunteered to be tribute. He had a rough build, though. I'll have to watch him. A 12 year old girl from District 11 was called. No one wanted to take her place.

District 12, our District, was strange. Kaymitch being drunk, Katniss volunteering in place for her sister, my name being called.

"Your mentor has a lot to learn about presentation. A lot about televised behavior." Effie, as usual, is disgusted.

All I do is laugh, "He was drunk. He's drunk every year."

Katniss smirks a little. "Every day," she adds.

Effie gives us a glare. "Yes," she says coldly. "How odd you two find it amusing. You know your mentor is your lifeline to the world in tese Games. The one who advises you, lines up sponsors, and dictates the presentation of any gifts. Haymitch can well be the difference between your life and your death!"

As if on cue, Haymitch stumbles in the room. He looked and sounded drunk, too. "I miss supper?" he asks and throws up and falls in his mess.

"So laugh away!" Effie yells. She avoids the vomit and leaves the room.

Katniss and I just watch Haymitch for a short while. The smell of Haymitch and his vomit fills the room. Katniss and I help Haymitch up to his feet without talking to even agree on it.

"I tripped?" he guesses. "Smells bad." When he wipes his face with his hand, vomit spreads on his face.

"Let's get you back to your room," I suggest. "Clean you up a bit."

We took Haymitch to his room and set him in his bathtub and turn the shower on. "It's okay," I say. "I'll take it from here." I bet she doesn't want to see Haymitch undressed.

I cover Haymitch where he's not supposed to be seen with a towel and undress him. I clean him up by washing him and putting on pajamas for him. I could tell it was all an act because he seemed sober when Katniss left.

"Haymitch," I say, getting his attention, "how do you know my dad?"

"Kid, there's a lot you still need to know," he replies, not answering my question. "Let's just say I know your father enough to know his purpose for what he asked you to do, and I can't agree more."

I sit on his bed. "You're making this way too complicated that it needs to be."

"No, you are." Now this is really starting to confuse me. "I thought your dad would've already told you by now."

"Tell me what?" I demand. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Peeta," he says in a calm voice, "you _will_ find out, okay? Hopefully before the Games start, but I think you should get some rest. You look tired." I leave the room, thinking. Again.

_Before the Games start._ That's almost what my dad told me. If I don't find out then, I'll find out in the Games. Hopefully.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I know, short chapter. The point of this chapter was the talk between Haymitch and Peeta. It's an important piece in the story.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always welcome! I only got 3 reviews on my first chapter but I (as of now) got 3 favorites and 8 story alerts! I'd like to thank them. I'll reply to reviews starting at some point in the story. Reviews mean a lot, too, I enjoy feedback. If it seems boring now, I'm sorry, just wait til the Games start, which won't be too far from now.**


	3. Author's Note

**This is just an Author's note, sorry.**

****I know, I haven't updated in a while. I should put that it was on hiatus. It is.

**SO DON'T LOSE HOPE!**

****Well, truth is, I haven't been on here for a while. I've been on Tumblr shipping stuff on there. **Philjess, Harmony, SasuSaku ftw. **I'll start working on this again. I won't update much since it doesn't interest me as much as the other three.


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